Garcia leads at Wachovia

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Sergio Garcia reacts as he misses a birdie putt on the 17th hole during the third round of the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday May 7, 2005. Garcia is the third-round leader with a 12-under score of 204.
AP Photo/Rusty Burroughs

Sergio Garcia reacts as he misses a birdie putt on the 17th hole during the third round of the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday May 7, 2005. Garcia is the third-round leader with a 12-under score of 204.

AP Photo/Rusty Burroughs

CHARLOTTE, N.C.  Sergio Garcia left a world-class field in his wake Saturday, making eight birdies in his first 15 holes for a 5-under 67 that gave him a six-shot lead in the Wachovia Championship.

Except for a few wayward tee shots, Garcia was nearly flawless. He pulled away with three straight birdies on the back nine and moved to 12-under 204.

D.J. Trahan, a 24-year-old rookie, stumbled on the back nine and settled for a 71. He was at 6-under 210, along with Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk.

Furyk, in his best performance since wrist surgery a year ago, had a 69 and will be paired with the 25-year-old Garcia on Sunday.

Singh played in the final group with Garcia on Saturday and was no match, shooting a 71.

Nick Price had a 69 and was at 211.

Tiger Woods, who has never finished worse than third after winning the Masters, might see that streak end with a thud. He squandered opportunities on the front nine and failed to make a birdie over the final 11 holes for a 73, leaving him at 1-under 215 and 11 shots behind.

With four birdies in a five-hole span, Sorenstam rebounded from a rough start at the Michelob Ultra Open and got herself back into contention for a record sixth straight victory. At 1 over, she's seven shots behind leader Cristie Kerr.

Kerr (68) is alone atop the leaderboard at 6 under. Michele Redman (69) and A.J. Eathorne (69) are two strokes back, and Shi Hyun Ahn and Nicole Perrot are at 3 under.

There are 36 holes to play Sunday, though, and nobody rallies like Sorenstam, whose 4-under 67 was low score of the day.

Sorenstam has come from behind in 19 of her 59 victories, including two of her three wins this year. Her rally from 10 strokes back on the final day of The Office Depot in 2001 tied the LPGA record for biggest comeback victory.

Italian Open

MILAN, Italy  England's Steve Webster shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Italian Open.

Webster, a five-time runner-up on the PGA European Tour seeking his first victory, had a 14-under 202 total on the Castello di Tolcinasco course. England's Richard Finch was second, following his course-record 63 with a third-round 71.